When was the Berlin Wall torn down?

A:

Quick Answer

The Berlin Wall was torn down on Nov. 9, 1989. It was built to separate East Berlin from West Berlin. Construction started on Aug.13, 1961, using barbed wire and concrete. The wall made it very difficult for people to defect from East Germany's communist government to democratic West Germany.

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Before the construction of the Berlin Wall, 3.5 million people had escaped to West Germany, according to the BBC. After the wall was built, approximately 5,000 East Germans tried to flee over the wall. Several people lost their lives trying to escape. The estimated number of deaths is between 136 and more than 200 in Berlin and the surrounding area.